The Phoenix of Thunderclan
by Phoenixflame of Thunderclan
Summary: Phoenixkit is a orange she-cat from Thunderclan. She lives a normal life until their medicine cat, Spottedleaf, tells her a strange prophecy, "The bird of fire will rise from death, and nothing will bring it down again." Phoenixpaw along with her friends, Bluepaw, Graypaw, and Lionpaw, feel danger looming around each corner, and as it draws nearer, she wonders how bad the storm is
1. Chapter 1 The Phoenix Rising

Chapter 1.

The Phoenix Rising

"I'm gonna catch you Bluekit!" I yowled.

"Not for a million mouse tails!" Bluekit hissed playfully.

I ran at top speed toward her. Suddenly, I felt something crash into my side. "Looks like I caught you Phoenixkit!" I heard a voice squeak in triumph.

"Graykit! I didn't know you were playing!" My voice raised. "That's not fair! Moonflower!"

Moonflower walked out of the nursery. "Yes, Phoenixkit?"

"Graykit's cheating!"

"Was not!" he yowled. "I was playing with Bluekit and Phoenixkit! All I did was tackle Phoenixkit."

"You didn't tell me you were playing!"

Moonflower sighed. "Why don't you just play another game?" she suggested.

I brightened instantly. "Okay! Where's Lionkit? It's his turn to be the mouse."

"In the nursery, sleeping."

"Well wake him up, I'm _not_ being the mouse again."

Bluekit let out a purr. "Okay, I will, but when he kills one of us, it's going to be your fault." She headed off towards the nursery, tail waving.

When she was in the nursery, our leader, Pinestar, jumped onto the highrock. "Every cat old enough to catch their own prey please join beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!" he yowled.

We joined in the group of cats, and Bluekit joined, herding Lionkit who looked tired. We are all mid-five moons old, which means we are old enough to join the meetings, and this would be our first.

"It's probably Rabbitleap getting her first apprentice," Lionkit guessed. As he said that, a small, brown kit and a black one stepped out of the nursery.

"Of course! Mousekit and Ebonykit must be getting their apprentice names. I should've guessed that they were reaching their sixth moon. They must've been talking about it all day. Strange, I didn't notice it," Bluekit said.

I nodded. "I think I heard them, I just didn't pay much attention."

"Who gets the other one?" Graykit wondered aloud.

Now, Pinestar was talking. "Mousekit, please come forward." Mousekit delicately stepped forward. He turned to Rabbitleap. "Rabbitleap, you are ready for your first apprentice, and I want you to make sure your skills and intelligence go from you to Mousepaw."

"I will try, Pinestar," Rabbitleap replied, stepping forward to touch noses with the newly named Mousepaw.

Pinestar turned to a small, light tabby sitting next to our deputy, Sunfur. "Deerstep, you did an excellent job with Orangestripe, and I hope you do an equally amazing job with Ebonypaw."

Deerstep touched noses with her new apprentice. "You can count on that Pinestar," she told him.

"Mousepaw! Ebonypaw! Mousepaw! Ebonypaw!" the clan cheered.

I made my way over to the newest apprentices. "Congrats Mousepaw, Ebonypaw, I can't wait to join you in the den."

Ebonypaw was purring too hard to speak, but Mousepaw told me, "I can't wait to see you as an apprentice. I wonder who your mentor will be."

"I hope mine is Sunfur!" Graykit squeaked.

"Pinestar will decide who your mentor is kits," a white she-cat said.

"Well, I want you to be my mentor, Whitelightning," I said proudly. "You're the best warrior in the clan!"

Whitelightning purred. "You definitely know how to suck up to others."

"Yes I do!"

Five nights later was the full moon, and as the chosen cats; Sunfur, Featherwhisker, Orangestripe, Deerstep, Lighteyes, Longfur, Ebonypaw and Mousepaw, prepared to go, Pinestar called another meeting.

"Before we go, I have a ceremony to preform," Pinestar announced. "We have four kits who have almost reached their sixth moon. Bluekit, Phoenixkit, Graykit, and Lionkit, please step forward."

I heard Lionkit give a startled gasp and Graykit gave himself and few, swift licks while I stood a little taller and stepped forward. "Bluekit, come forward." He turned to Whitelightning. "Whitelightning, you had an amazing mentor in, well, me, and I trust that you will pass on all of the skills that I taught you and more to Bluepaw." Whitelightning touched noses with Bluepaw.

He turned to me. "Phoenixkit, come forward." Feeling all of the cats' eyes burning into my fur, I walked to stand beneath the highrock. He turned to his deputy. "Sunfur, you are my loyal and faithful deputy, and I hope you make Phoenixpaw as reliable as you."

Forcing my excitement frozen legs to move, I touched noses with my new mentor. "Don't worry, you're doing fine," he whispered as our noses touched. I barely heard as Pinestar named Lionpaw to Lighteyes, an orange and white tortoiseshell she-cat, and Graypaw to Longfur, a fluffy black tom.

"Now, you must sit and guard the camp during the night _without _talking," he told us. He gave me a long look, as if I might be tempted to speak during the vow of silence.

"While the rest of us get a good night sleep," Shortclaw, an aggressive gray tom, shouted at the back of the crowd.

"Your lucky it's greenleaf," Pantherpelt, a blue-gray tom, pointed out.

"Isn't that for when you become a warrior?" I asked.

"Sometimes new apprentices do it too, it's Pinestar's decision really."

That's when Sunfur walked up to me. "We'll start training tomorrow at sunhigh. For now, you need to take your position, then at sunrise, go to bed and be ready at sundown. Got it?"

I nodded, unable to speak even if I could think of something to say. As the cats chosen left, I took my place with Bluepaw to my right and Graypaw beside her, with Lionpaw a few paces beside me. For some reason, our medicine cat, Spottedleaf, came and sat beside me, watching the sky. I noticed that the sky was darkening even more, because the stars were getting covered with clouds.

An owl flew past, and, out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning struck it dead on and, in the second in was still in the air, it was on fire. Then it flew away, as if nothing had happened. Spottedleaf gasped. I turned to her.

She stared back at me. "Did you see it?" she asked me.

I shook my head and mouthed, "What?"

"The bird, it was on fire, and yet, still alive. It's an omen." Suddenly, her voice grew cold and sinister. "The bird of fire will rise from death, and nothing will bring it down again."

It suddenly started raining. I waited a few moments and turned the words over in my head. The bird of fire...a phoenix? I froze. Phoenixpaw...does that mean I'll die, then come back to life? Pinestar pushed through the tunnel, I guessed that the gathering had been rained out. He was followed by the rest of the cats who attended the gathering and, without a word, they all disappeared into their dens.

Spottedleaf had left after giving me the prophecy, and Lionpaw, Bluepaw, and Graypaw gave no clue that they heard it. I would tell them, but no one else. Spottedleaf will probably tell Pinestar about it, though.

I turned my attention back to the gorse tunnel. Suddenly, I heard a noise in the gorse tunnel, and it didn't smell like Thunderclan. A growl rose in my throat and it turned to a battle cry as the Shadowclan leader Raggedstar jumped out of nowhere and landed on my back. His greater weight and size pinned me down as he clawed at my back.

"Thunderclan! Enemies! Attack!" I yowled helplessly.

Suddenly, the weight vanished as Sunfur headbutted him and the clearing exploded into battle. Sunfur buried his teeth in Raggedstar's neck. I flipped around and flashed out a paw that caught Raggedstar on the side of the head. Someone bit my tail, so I flipped around to attack and came face to face with a large, white tom with black paws. Instantly, Whitelightning was at my side.

"Your so pathetic your attacking the newest apprentice Blackfoot!" she hissed in his face.

He didn't reply, but lashed out at her. Graypaw butted his flank before it could make contact. Bluepaw jumped on Blackfoot and landed smack dab in the middle of his back. "How dare you attack my mentor!" Bluepaw yowled.

Lionpaw was at my side and at the sight of the fifth attacker, Blackfoot fled. "Let's stay together," I panted to them.

They nodded agreement, and I pounced on a small, light brown tabby she-cat. She was obviously an apprentice, and at the sight of me she spat, but at the sight of the others she yowled and ran. I attacked an orange tabby tom.

"Copperpelt!" Whitelightning spat. I bit hard into his foreleg, Lionpaw gripped his tail in his teeth, and Graypaw landed on his back. Copperpelt had had enough. He shook free and ran through the gorse tunnel. As quickly as they came, they left. Pinestar stood, looking confused.

"Why did they attack us?" Lighteyes yowled.

More questions broke out, and it was many seconds until Pinestar could make himself heard. "Shadowclan didn't drive us out. They didn't gain any territory, they didn't do anything. We are not at war. So why did they attack? They attacked for one reason. To strike fear into us giving them territory is my guess. We all did a great job defending the camp, and our newest apprentices could've been killed. So, from now on, every time we have an apprentice sit vigil, we will have their mentors with them."

Whitelightning, Lighteyes, Sunfur, and Longfur all stared at each other. Rabbitleap and Deerstep began talking urgently. "But surely these apprentices where safe with each other," Deerstep shouted to Pinestar.

"Perhaps," Pinestar agreed. "But if there was only one apprentice. Say only Phoenixpaw was on watch, and the others were sleeping. They could've taken her out without anyone even hearing it." The cats began to yowl with despair, and this time Pinestar had to yell to be heard. "I think that our apprentices would be safer this way, even if the mentors miss out on a night of sleep. What is more important? The lives of our apprentices or a night of sleep?"

The clan reluctantly began to agree. "Now, the sun's coming up, warriors, get to your duties. I want to see the gorse tunnel finished and the dens at least started on by tonight. Got it?"

Sunfur walked up to me afterwards. "Get some sleep Phoenixpaw, I still want you ready for training at sunhigh."

"Okay Sunfur, I'll be ready."

"Okay, I want you to attack me," Sunfur instructed.

I looked up and down over him. He was much bigger than me, so I couldn't use size or weight against him, or could I? If I could use his weight against him, I would have him down for the count. I leaped and, almost out of nowhere, he rose and struck me with a blow to the head, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get the point across.

I couldn't let him beat me so easily, so I turned on him. He leaped, and I saw my chance. When he was still in the air, I jumped over where he would be, and when he flew past I crashed on his back and squashed the air out of him. He shook me off and while I lay winded, pinned me to the ground. "Nice job Phoenixpaw, but you lost attention after you landed on me, try again."

_Okay, so I can't try that again. He's already one to it. What if I use how fast he runs to me against him. _He began to towards me at full speed. When he was within striking distance, I tried to jump out if the way, but I slipped on the sand and fell flat on my face. He was still moving at top speed, but when he was about to crash into a tree, he jumped towards it and landed on its side and practically bounced off of it to land in front of my face. " You can't even control your own weight. Learn that before you use one's weight against them."

I felt hot with embarrassment. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"Your just an apprentice, of course you're going to make mistakes. But to tell you the truth, I think that thing you came up with was smart." he praised. "That thing were you use my bigger size and weight to your advantage."

"Do you think I would have done better in the attack if I had some training first?" I asked him.

He was silent for a few seconds. "Yes, probably. But don't worry," he added when I looked sad. "All apprentices start out like that. You'll get better I'm sure. In the meantime, Bluepaw, Graypaw, and Lionpaw are going hunting at sundown and it's the duty of your mentors to prepare you for it. Now, show me your best hunting crouch."

I lowered my head to the forest floor, my rump sticking in the air. Sunfur nodded a bit. "Very good, but keep your tail to the ground, it'll lash when you see prey occasionally and you don't want that to set the leaves shaking. Whilst it's on the ground it'll think it's just wind. And stop flicking your ears for the same reason." I did all he instructed. "Much better, let's just see how much prey we bring back for the clan."

I strode into camp, a mouse gripped firmly in my jaws. Sunfur had helped me by showing how to stalk a mouse, but I made the leap that killed it. Bluepaw came rushing towards me. "You caught that yourself?" she asked disbelievingly. I nodded, my mouth full of mouse, and put it on top of the pile. "I hope you and Sunfur didn't hunt the forest dry. We're supposed to be hunting later."

"I know, but we just saw that mouse and it was practically begging to be caught." I answered.

Graypaw hopped across the clearing. "Hey guys! Your mentors tell you we're going hunting?"

"Yeah," Bluepaw meowed. "I was just making sure that Phoenixpaw didn't catch all the prey." She flicked her ears to my mouse, which lay proudly at the top of the pile.

"Do you think Sunfur would let us leave early?" Graypaw wondered aloud.

"Let's ask our mentors," Bluepaw suggested.

We all split up to ask our mentors. I spotted Sunfur sharing a vole with Palestream, a very pale orange tabby she-cat. "Sunfur?" I asked, hoping he wasn't hoping for peace with the pretty tabby.

He turned to me. "Yes Phoenixpaw?"

"Can Bluepaw, Graypaw, Lionpaw, and I go hunting?"

He purred and turned back to Palestream. "Apprentices! Always dashing off aren't they? You can go."

"Thanks Sunfur!" I called, rushing away to our favorite stump near the den. Bluepaw and Lionpaw were already there, and as I got closer Graypaw rushed up.

"Longfur said it's okay," he panted.

"Sunfur said the same thing."

"Lighteyes told me to bring her a fat, juicy rabbit!"

I turned to Bluepaw. "Did Whitelightning say you could come?"

"What? Oh, yeah," she answered hastily. I looked at her more closely.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked.

"No, it's just, Whitelightning seemed a little... off lately."

"Hmm, perhaps she is just tired. She's still a sort of new warrior. It must have come a shock to be given an apprentice so soon," I reasoned. Whitelightning has only been a warrior for a moon. Surely that's all she was feeling, tired from the patrols.

"Maybe..." Bluepaw murmured, looking unconvinced.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get hunting!" Graypaw yowled.

We went into the forest. "Let's start at Sunningrocks." I suggested. "Then we can split up."

"Sounds good," Bluepaw murmured.

When we got there, we relaxed on the rocks and waited for the sun to sink. "Shh, I hear something," Lionpaw hissed.

He was right, there was a faint scrabbling coming from the cracks. Graypaw lunged forward and thrust his paw into a crack. "Mouse-dung!" he growled as the scrabbling stopped.

"Come on, let's split up," I told them. "We probably will get more alone or in a smaller group. All of us tramping through the forest like a pack of badgers will scare all of the prey from here to Highstones."

They nodded. "You know, she's right," Graypaw agreed.

I headed towards Fourtrees. I pricked my ears and opened my mouth slightly to find prey. The scent of a vole was heavy in the air, and not far away. Looking in a bramble bush, I finally saw it. I got into the hunting crouch, remembering to keep my tail and ears still. I knew I couldn't pounce now, I would be getting prickers out of my pelt until leaf-bare. I purposely moved a leaf to scare it, and I blocked the only exit. It ran right into my claws. I buried the piece of prey beneath a large beech tree, and searched for more.

I opened my mouth again. The smell of rabbit hit my scent glands, and not far from where I stood. I moved towards where it was, not making a sound. As I neared, I forgot to check the position of the wind, and it ran away with a scream, probably scaring all of the prey nearby. I went towards Snakerocks and added a mouse and three shrews to my horde.

Bluepaw and Graypaw were already there, and as I walked up, Lionpaw joined us.

Bluepaw had a couple of voles and a rabbit, Graypaw had a shrew and a mouse, and Lionpaw struggled toward us with the biggest rabbit I had ever seen in his jaws, pushing two water voles with his paws. "Nice catch!" I yowled to him.

He nodded showing that he understood, but with the rabbit in his mouth, he couldn't speak. We returned to camp that day laden with fresh-kill, and we got first pick of the pile. As I carried off the rabbit I chose, I relished in the warm greenleaf air and the friends by my side.


	2. Character List (Sorry it's not a chap!)

Thunderclan

Leader:

Pinestar

Deputy:

Sunfur

Apprentice: Phoenixpaw

Medicine Cat:

Spottedleaf

Warriors:

Whitelightning- Aloof white she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: Bluepaw

Orangestripe- Dark orange tabby tom with green eyes

Deerstep- Small, light brown tabby she-cat with brown eyes

Apprentice: Ebonypaw

Rabbitleap- White she-cat with blue eyes and a stump for a tail

Apprentice: Mousepaw

Longfur- Fluffy black tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Graypaw

Lighteyes- Orange and white tortoiseshell she-cat

Apprentice: Lionpaw

Shortclaw- Aggressive gray tom with brown eyes

Pantherpelt- Blue-gray tom with green eyes

Palestream- Gentle, pale orange she-cat with blue eyes

Fluffstorm- Very fluffy mottled brown tom with green eyes

Browneyes- Dark brown tom with brown eyes

Redshadow- Red and orange tabby tom with amber eyes

Loudsplash- Short-haired white she-cat with amber eyes

Goldheart- Gentle golden she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices:

Bluepaw- Blue-gray she-cat

Phoenixpaw- Bright orange she-cat with blue eyes

Ebonypaw- Black tom with brown eyes

Mousepaw- Small brown she-cat with green eyes

Graypaw- Long haired gray tom with green eyes

Lionpaw- Orange tabby tom with green eyes and fluffy cheeks

Elders:

Smallstep- Grouchy black tom with green eyes

Crystalfur- White she-cat with gray eyes

Shadowclan

Leader:

Raggedstar- Large dark brown tabby tom

Deputy:

Copperpelt- Orange tabby tom with yellow eyes

Medicine cat:

Greenscent- Amber and white tortoiseshell with green eyes

Warriors:

Clouddrift- Fluffy white tom with green eyes

Mouseclaw- Small, light brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Blackfoot- Large white tom with black paws

Brownpelt- Mottled brown tabby she-cat

Darkclaw- Black tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Leakpaw- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Yellowpaw- Long-furred gray she-cat

Windclan

Leader:

Jetstar- Black tom with Green eyes

Deputy:

Snowstripe- White she-cat with faint gray stripes and blue eyes

Riverclan

Leader:

Dropstar- Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy:  
>Bronzeslice- Golden tabby tom with amber eyes<p>

Oc cats needed. Especially for Windclan and Riverclan. Please Submit and review. If you want to submit an Oc, please do it in the following format.

Name:

Position:(kit, apprentice, warrior, medicine cat. Deputies and leaders are taken)

Appearance:

Clan:

Extra information:

Ex.

Name: Whiskerflank

Position: Medicine cat

Appearance: Fluffy white and orange tortoiseshell with amber eyes

Clan: Riverclan

Extra information: Once trained as a warrior

Also, anyone want to do a crossover with either of my stories? This one or my Pokemon Fanfiction titled My Life as a Pokemon: My Unova Adventure. This list was for you guys but also to make it easier to remember. I don't own Warriors but I do own many characters like Phoenixpaw. Don't forget, Oc's and reviews! Don't sugar-coat reviews, I _really _want to know how you feel about my stories. Thank you, and I will be mentioning every one who reviews. Oh! I have polls for both of my stories! This one is for "What disaster happens next?" and the one for my other story is "When should the egg hatch?"


	3. Chapter 2 To Kill a Firebird

The next day Sunfur sent me on a hunting patrol with Orangestripe and Fluffstorm, a fluffy mottled brown tom. He said he wanted me to get used to being with warriors. Bluepaw wanted to come with me, but she was sent on a border patrol to check out the border. Sunfur would show it to me later. Graypaw and Lionpaw were asleep from being on the moonhigh patrol.

"Okay Phoenixpaw, Sunfur wants me to keep an eye on you. Show me what you can do." Fluffstorm instructed. I opened my mouth slightly to catch the scent of prey. Instead, a strong, rank scent made me gag.

"Fluffstorm? What is that?"

Fluffstorm opened his mouth wide. Suddenly, his eyes flooded with fear and anger. "Fox! And not far too." Taking another gulp of air, he twitched his ears to where the smell was coming from. "It has a den nearby," he whispered. He climbed a ridge to overlook the grassy clearing. Instantly he ducked again. He waved his tail urgently to show that it was there. Orangestripe nodded and whispered something to him that I couldn't catch.

Orangestripe slunk through the brambles to flank it. I could see it now. It was long and reddish, with a big, fluffy tail and a wedge-shaped face. _That's a fox?_ I wondered. _It's snout is UGLY! _A battle cry rumbled deep in Fluffstorm's throat as he jumped from his hiding place to confront it.

"This is our territory!" he hissed. "Out, or you don't want to know what will happen to you!"

Orangestripe turned to me. "Stay back, you're still a new apprentice. I don't want to go to camp and say 'sorry Sunfur, a fox gobbled up your apprentice'? Don't think so. He lunged at it, his teeth buried in it's throat.

Fluffstorm slashed at it's eyes. Ignoring Orangestripe's instructions, I leaped on it's back, biting it's shoulder. He shot a glare at me, but couldn't say anything with his teeth in it's neck. The fox twisted and slashed Fluffstorm's flank. He yowled and lay still in the dust, bleeding heavily.

"Fluffstorm!" I yowled, completely forgetting the fox. The fox snapped at Orangestripe and landed another heavy blow, before retreating to it's den. They both were sprawled on the ground. "Are you all right?" When there was no answer, my voice became a high-pitched squeak. "Guys?"

Neither if them were moving, and both had only received one wound, but they were both deep. "Spottedleaf! Sunfur! Pinestar, anybody! Somebody, please help! Fluffstorm...and...and Orangestripe! Their hurt!" No reply. I tentatively touched them. They were both cold, and their eyes were glazed and stared blankly at the sky. Anger welled up inside me. Why would Starclan allow this? "Why are you so cruel?" I cried to the starry spirits above, but they didn't answer.

Maybe...What if they're _not_ warrior ancestors. Are they just petty balls of light? One by one, the lights became blotted out. I looked around, confused. The night was as dark as it had been, so the sun wasn't rising, and the sky was still clear of clouds. Then I saw Fluffstorm and Orangestripe in front of me. They looked at the peak of health. Their pelts were clean of the wounds that were so bad on them. In fact, they were sparkling with stars.

They both glared at her, and the next moment, they were gone. Now, she was walking in a dark, misty forest. No stars lit the way, but instead, the path was lit by the eerily glowing moss growing on the trunks. The trees grew closely together and their trunks were bare of any leaves, and they went as high as the eye could see. I padded along this forest for a while, trying to figure out where I was, when I ran into a she-cat. It was too misty to see what she looked like, but all I could see where the glowing, amber eyes.

"Welcome Phoenixpaw," she purred.

"Where?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know, is this Starclan?"

Before she could answer, a female voice spoke up behind me. "Mapleshade, leave this apprentice alone," she hissed.

"Lickingflame? What are you doing here?" Mapleshade growled.

"I have come to show Phoenixpaw something," Lickingflame answered evenly, not even flinching at the evil tone.

"Don't listen to her Phoenixpaw," Mapleshade warned.

I flipped around, realizing that even with the heavy mist, Lickingflame was shining bright enough to see. I became uneasy, knowing that Mapleshade didn't possess that glow. I shivered. Wherever this was, it wasn't Starclan. "Phoenixpaw, this place is for cats who don't deserve entry into Starclan. Ones who have lied and murdered to many times to count just for the feeling of blood on their paws."

"Stay with me, you'll be treated better than ever here."

I shot a glare at Lickingflame. What could she promise? "No, come back to where you belong," Lickingflame pleaded. I snorted. Was she that determined?

"No, I'm staying." I muttered.

"What?" Lickingflame meowed sounding surprised and disappointed at the same time.

"Good, good," Mapleshade purred, sounding evilly pleased. "Now, a test to prove your loyalty." She looked at me closely. "Kill her."

"How? She's already dead."

"Your young and foolish, we'll soon change that. Every warrior fades eventually, unless, someone kills their spirit first. They'll fade instantly, now back to business. Kill her."

I turned to her. "Phoenixpaw! She's a killer, why do you think she's here?"

"How do I know your not the killer? You took Fluffstorm and Orangestripe away!" I lunged for her. She didn't even try to dodge, she just stood there like a statue.

"Phoenixpaw, you don't know what your doing! Your a great cat!"

_Huh, empty praise. _ I buried my teeth in her neck, until she fell to my claws. I stepped back and watch her convulsing body. "Why Phoenixpaw? What did you think you have accomplished?"

"Ridding the world of a murderer." I hissed. Her life blood poured onto the grass of the misty forest. Eventually, she rapidly began to fade, the only thing left was the stain of blood on the ground, which was disappearing now. My paws were still soaked through and my mouth tasted of blood.

"Excellent," Mapleshade praised. "Now, one more thing," she pounced on my back.

I gave a yowl of alarm. "What are you doing?"

"If your to be with us, you need to be dead, like everybody else."

I flailed my outstretched claws at her, a couple on her shoulder, some on her flank, but she didn't let go of my neck. One of my claws pierced her throat, and she fell on top of me. I scrambled out from under the weight, and now she too faded away. Everything that happened came flooding back to me, making my mind cringe at the thought of finding out what Starclan would do to me.

_What have I done?_ But that wasn't all. I had many claw marks on my flank, and a nasty bite on my throat. My legs began to weaken as blood, now mine, stained yet another part of the grass red, and I fell to the ground, giving in to a comforting blackness that swept over me like a wave.


	4. Chapter 3 Flight of the Phoenix

_ Okay, yes, I am mean. Don't worry, it only goes downhill for poor Phoenixpaw...On the brighter side. Thank you to LadyofStarclan, Mike viper, and Sunnypelt for reviewing or p.m.-ing me . Don't forget to review and p.m. me if you want. (I still feel kinda lonely on this file)_

I have vague memories of what happened next. An image appeared of being taken through the forest on something soft, a back I guess, and the presence of two cold bodies being dragged across the ground nearby. Then of a worried face peering at me, saying something that I couldn't catch. Then I woke up. I was in a dark, flat, grassy clearing in the cleft of a rock. It was cold, unnaturally cold for being greenleaf. I began to panic. "Where am I? What am I doing here? Why is it so cold?"

An annoyed hiss came from outside. "Keep still Grasskit! And then maybe I'll be able to get that thorn out."

"Help!," I whimpered.

"Hold on a second," it meowed again. She walked in and saw me."Phoenixpaw, you're awake!" she purred.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Now I recognized where I was. I was in the medicine den, with Spottedleaf worrying over me. I was still in Thunderclan!

She ignored my question. "I'll let Bluefur and Graystripe know. Lionheart is on patrol right now, but I'll tell him when he comes back."

Questions buzzed through my head. Bluefur? Graystripe? Lionheart? What happened? But she disappeared before I could ask another question. Moments later, Bluepaw came in. "Phoenixpaw! Your finally awake!" Bluepaw cried.

"Finally? Bluepaw, what's going on?"

"Bluefur," she corrected.

"Bluefur? Your warriors now! Am I stuck alone with Ebonypaw and Mousepaw in the apprentice's den?"

"Ebonyclaw and Mousetail."

"Am I alone? Bluefur, how long have I been out?" I was shivering in fear as a long pause followed my question.

"I'm so sorry, Phoenixpaw," she muttered, her voice as soft as kit beading.

"How long," I demanded, fearing the answer.

She let out a shuddering sigh. "Two moons."

"What?" My voice squeaked with sadness.

"It's okay," Graypaw...no, Graystripe assured me.

"Well, Palestream had a litter of kits. Oran-"

"I know, Orangestripe and Fluffstorm are dead."

She looked surprised. "How, did you see them?"

A wave of sadness hit me again as I imagined their bodies at my paws, then they changed, and it was Lickingflame and Mapleshade, now their blood mixed with mine and my paws where stained with it. I felt horror numb my limbs as I just now fully realized what I just did. I killed a Starclan warrior! What had I been thinking? _I thought it was her fault that Fluffstorm and Orangestripe were dead! _I reminded myself. _I was blinded by anger._

"This isn't over!" I heard a hiss in my ear. "You will join me."

At that moment I realized that no matter what I did or where I went, Mapleshade would walk there until I broke and walked with her again in the Dark Forest. "Phoenixpaw!" Graystripe cried. "Bluefur catch her she's-" I fell to the ground, landing heavily on the soft grass as my mind forced it's way to unconsciousness.

_ Sorry if these chapters seem so short, it seems much longer on my Openofficice thingy. Uh, any Ocs please submit looking like this. _

Name:

Position:(kit, apprentice, warrior, medicine cat. Deputies and leaders are taken)

Appearance:

Clan:

Extra information:

Ex.

Name: Whiskerflank

Position: Medicine cat

Appearance: Fluffy white and orange tortoiseshell with amber eyes

Clan: Riverclan

Extra information: Once trained as a warrior

_I don't own Warriors but I own Phoenixpaw, most of the other characters... Remember, Oc's and reviews, and P.M.'s! Please check out my poll for this. (I need to figure put what _you_ guys want.) If you have any ideas you want to share it will be considered! And mentioned!_


	5. Chapter 4 You Monster

_Once again, sorry for the short chapters. Blame school mostly, and the fact that I keep finding great places for cliffhangers. So even if I find a great place to stop, I'm not until it is a longer chapter. Oh, another thing, for those of you who are thinking so, Moonflower is not her mother. She's Graystripe's, Bluefur's, and Lionheart's mother,(screw the time-line/story-line) but Phoenixpaw's mother was Goldenflower. Forgot to mention that..._

When I regained consciousness, I saw Bluefur standing over me, with Spottedleaf rushing in. It was still strangely cold. "Ugh, was that just a dream?" I wondered aloud.

"What, being asleep for two moons? No, it wasn't," Bluefur told me. 

"Great, so, when are we getting more apprentices?"

"When Grasskit and Wingkit reach six moons, which is about five moons from now."

I groaned. _Great, I'm stuck, alone, in the apprentice's den_, I thought bitterly. Out loud I asked, "What else happened in the last two moons?" 

"I'll tell you later, but for now," Spottedleaf dropped a mouse at my muzzle. "Eat." After a few moments, she added, "Congratulations, and not on surviving two moons without food or water, most cats wake up from a coma terribly undernourished, and I want to congratulate you on beating the odds and even managing to pack on a few pounds."

I stared at her. "What?"

Suddenly, she looked confused. "Was I quoting something?"

I let out an irritable hiss, but I didn't want to call the medicine cat a mouse-brain, so I changed the subject. "Can I go outside?" I asked Spottedleaf.

"You may, as long as you take that mouse with you."

As I walked outside, placing the mouse on the ground to sniff the air, I realized I got a strong scent of frost. _Of course, I've been asleep for two moons, it's almost leaf-bare."_

"Spottedleaf told me your awake, but I didn't expect to see you outside for a little while yet," a voice mewed by the nursery. It was Palestream, her kits tumbling around her paws.

"Congratulations Palestream, are they Sunfur's?"

She nodded shyly. "He's a great cat."

"He's a great mentor," I agreed.

"You know, I think he worried about you as much if not more than your friends and Goldenflower combined." Palestream commented. Goldenflower is my mother, and she's very sweet.

"He cares a lot. Does anybody know how Orangestripe and Fluffstorm died?" I asked her.

"When we found them they're bodies were laced with scratches and bite marks, and the scent of fox was unmistakable. We assumed that's what killed them." Then she looked more closely at me. "You were there, do you know who killed them?"

"A fox, nasty one indeed," I confirmed.

"Is that why you were so injured?" she asked.

_No, _I thought. _Mapleshade is why I was bleeding like that. _The fear of it crashed into me again. I killed a Starclan warrior. Then I turned and killed a Dark Forest warrior? What will happen to me when I die, if I'm rejected by Starclan and the Dark Forest.

A voice broke into my thoughts. "You're awake," Redshadow, a red and orange tabby tom, purred.

I turned blankly to him, and saw his eyes glowing with friendship. I flinched. Would he still look at me like that if he knew what I had done? _No,_ I thought. _No one will like me if they find out how much of a monster I am. _

Now I realized he was staring at me expectantly. I felt embarrassment burning under my pelt. "Sorry, did you say something?"

I expected to get an irritated reply, but instead he looked at me with sympathy in his amber eyes. "Are you okay? Is there something on your mind?"

At that moment, I felt my mind give way, and my thoughts tumbled out of my mouth. "I killed a cat!"

He looked at me quizzically now. "Killed? You've been asleep for two moons." Then his gaze grew serious. "Did _you_ kill Fluffstorm and Orangestripe?"

"No, I mean a Starclan cat."

"You killed a Starclan cat?" His voice sounded icy calm, but under it he was horrified. So was I.

Now the entire camp was staring at me, utterly silent. I caught hushed murmurs from the cats like, "Murderer."

"Traitor."

"Rogue."

I glared defiantly back at them. "You heard me. "I killed a Starclan cat. Then, I killed a Dark Forest warrior," I growled.

Bluefur came to the front of the crowd. "Phoenixpaw, no!"

"Phoenixpaw yes! I turned my back on Starclan when Orangestripe and Fluffstorm died. I thought it was there fault! I killed Lickingflame because I thought that Mapleshade was my friend. But she attacked me. I sliced her throat open! They're blood was on _my _claws!"

"Phoenixpaw, calm down," Goldenflower started, but the clan was backing away from me.

"You don't want me for a clan mate! I'm a killer!" I continued.

"Phoenixpaw, what is this?" Sunfur asked, and Pantherpelt, a blue-gray tom, leaped from the crowd and bowled me over.

"Leave!" he hissed in my ear. "Lickingflame was my _mother_. And you killed her spirit!"

He raked skillful claws across my flank and shoulder. I wasn't going to kill one of my own clan mates, so I gave him a powerful kick with my hind legs, and while he lay winded on the ground, I ran through the thorn tunnel, ignoring the gorse sharp as claws as I burst through it.

"Pantherpelt! Come back, she knows she's not welcome anymore!" Pinestar yowled.

He continued to claw at my fleeing tail until I left clan territory. "And don't come back!" he hissed.

I kept blundering through the forest until I reached a large, grassy expanse. Windclan scent markers hit my tongue. I ran through it without getting caught by any cats and to the rocky territory ahead. By the time I stopped by a wide, square cave opening, it was dark. My paws ached and my claws kept getting pulled out from running across the rocky slopes. Something was pulling me into the cave, and before I knew it, I was deep in a series of tunnels that twisted and turned until I had no idea where I was, but the force was constantly pulling at my paws, showing me the way.

After a few moments, I entered a much larger cavern, in the middle, a rock sat, about three tail-lengths high. Above in a triangle in the roof gave just enough starlight to see. A flopped down near the stone and waited. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, but I waited. After what felt like a million seasons or a single heartbeat, the cave was lit by an extraordinary light coming from the stone.

Almost unconsciously, I stepped forward and touched my nose to the stone. Instantly, my vision was filled with stars, and I opened my eyes to find myself in Starclan's hunting ground. A pure black tom was there.

"Welcome Phoenixpaw," it meowed.

"W-who are you?" I asked.

"Phoenixpaw, I am your father, Flametooth."

"You died while protecting me while a Riverclan attack. Back when I was still in Goldenflower. Where am I? Why did I come?"

"This is Starclan's hunting grounds," he answered.

"No, how did I get here?"

"You came to the Moonstone, as for why your here, you answer that."

"Because I felt my paws tugging me here."

"Good, that was me. I summoned you here."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I need to talk to you, and some other cats need to talk to you."

"Who?"

"Fluffstorm and Orangestripe."

"Why do you need to talk to me?"

"Because we know you know what happened to Lickingflame," he answered.

"I killed her, I announced it to the clan, you heard."

He rolled his eyes. "Not just her. Mapleshade too. Did you kill her too?"

"Yes, any more obvious questions that will be around the territory in a day?"

"You, an apprentice, killed a Dark Forest warrior."

"Yes! How many time are you going to ask me?"

He looked at me with disbelief. "Starclan warriors have tried," he said. "And died in the process. You have just saved Starclan."

"I did? What about Lickingflame?"

He looked ten times as more serious. "Look, me, Orangestripe and Fluffstorm are the only Starclan cats that know you killed her."

"Your lying to them!" The force of my cry swept me from the dream, and I was back at the Moonstone, my aching legs showing just how long I had been asleep. Outside, the sun was rising, and I turned and ran outside the cave as fast as possible, following the trail I had left behind and now that I was paying attention, I could smell the faint scent of Flametooth. I burst out of it and ran away from the rising sun, away from the clans, away from my home.

_OC'S! REVIEWS! P.M.'S! POLLS! ANYTHING TO SHOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE HERE! Thank you people who notice I exist *cough* only one person *cough* Oh, don't forget to check out LadyofStarclan and The Power Keeper( it has a couple stories that say they're about MLP but there is a lot more involved like Skyrim and Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy VII and even more)_


	6. Chapter 5 The Ashes of a Past

I barely traveled that day. I kept stumbling over my own paws and spurts of rock. Even when I reached the plains ahead, it was tough traveling. I was very cold, for leaf-bare had taken it's hold on clan life. Even now that I left, I could still feel Pantherpelt's claws as he lashed at my tail, still feel the anger and fear of the clan as I told them what I did.

But no matter what happened, I kept walking towards the gray smudge that steadily grew larger.

A large, cold wind blow from the high slopes and I shivered. I traveled many days afterward, and eventually I got close to it and saw that it was actually a high, stone-covered hill. It rose so high that the peaks were shrouded in clouds. Another cold breeze ruffled my fur.

I was exhausted, for I had been walking all day. But I needed to get as far as possible from the clans. They better not follow her here, and just to make sure, I was to put as much distance as I could. Barely conscious, I began to climb the mountain. Night was here now, I began to fear that every cold wind that blew would drive me off the mountain, even though I was only a few fox-lengths off the ground.

Unable to do anything else, I flopped down on the cold stone, not even bothering to go back down to sleep on grass. I didn't expect to be able to sleep, but I almost instantly fell asleep. The next day I woke at the brake of dawn. I began to climb higher up the slopes. My stomach growled. I hadn't eaten since I left the clans, and now I wasn't sure I had enough energy to hunt. Several days later, when I was looking over the ridge, I found that I couldn't see the ground anymore.

Suddenly, I heard pawsteps behind me. I turned. I knew that if I got into a fight, weak and starving as I was, I would be outclassed, even if I ran into a kittypet kit.

"Whose there?" I asked, my voice croaking from lack of use.

I didn't see anything, so I shrugged and continued. A yowl rose behind me and something bowled into my side. I couldn't fight back, so I gave in.

"Crag!" a voice yowled. "What have you found us?"

"An intruder," Crag, the cat who attacked me, answered.

"Let it free, let see what it has to say for itself."

The cat scrambled off of me, and I got a good view for the first time. He was small, about the size of a new apprentice. He was very bulky, compared to a she-cat behind him, who with small, neat and lithe. There was a third cat, the one who called to Crag, and he was muscly also. His fur was gray, and it took a very close look to see that his fur was plastered with mud, along with his companions, hiding the true color of their pelts. "What is your name?" the she-cat asked.

"Phoenixpaw," I answered.

"Phoenixpaw, that's a weird name," Crag commented. "I'm Crag Where Eagles Nest, or Crag for short. I'm a to-be." He held out his paw and bowed his head. I'm not sure what he was doing.

"I'm Broken Rock With Falcon's Nest, or Broken for short, I'm a prey-hunter." the she-cat said, doing the same weird gesture.

But the other tom still looked hostile. "Why are you introducing yourselves?" he hissed.

"Sun, be nicer!" Broken growled back. To me she whispered. "That's Sun on Exposed Stone, he's a cave-guard."

"Let's take her to Stoneteller," Crag suggested with a glance at me. "He'll know what to do with a trespasser."

"Trespasser? I'm sorry, I'm just passing through," I started. "I didn't notice any scent markers, I'm sorry, I should've been smarter and paid more attention."

"Here in the mountains, we don't need any scent markers. No cat except for us live here," Broken explained.

"So do you live in a clan?" I asked, feeling wary to be among clan cats again.

"Clan? We are part of the Tribe of Rushing Water."

"So what was it you said about cave-guards and prey-hunters?"

"I'll tell you while we go to the cave." As soon as Broken said that, my stomach gave a loud protest. "I'm sure Stoneteller will let you share our daily meal."

I nodded, plodding after the three tribe cats. After a while, I began to hear a roaring sound. I turned to Crag. "What's that?" I whispered.

"The cave, our home," answered softly.

"Why does it sound like that?"

"You'll see," was all he said.

Eventually, I saw what looked like an overflowing river, crashing down into a small pool.

"That's the cave," Sun growled. "We live behind that waterfall."

"What? You live behind a rushing torrent of death?"

"That's why we follow the Path of Rushing Water," he said as if I was a kit to young to be out of the nursery.

"Don't worry 'bout him. He'd bite the tails off the Tribe of Endless Hunting if he saw them."

"Tribe of Endless Hunting? So there's two tribes living here?"

He stopped in his tracks, staring disbelievingly at me. "You've never heard of the Tribe of Endless Hunting?"

"Uh, no."

"They are our ancestors, they guide us in everything we do, and send Stoneteller signs in the Cave of Pointed Stones."

"Oh, like Starclan?"

"Who?"

"Our warrior ancestors," I explained. "They do the same thing with our medicine cat."

"Your so different... We must talk more, we can share what our tribes do."

At that moment, Sun climbed a rock, and vanished behind the waterfall. Seconds later, he poked his head out and glared at me. "Coming?"

"Follow my moves," Crag instructed.

He jumped onto a rock, turning to make sure I would get there. I stared blankly at it. The journey from when the cats found me felt like it had drained all the energy from my paws. "We'll help," Broken assured me.

Bunching my muscles, I leaped for it. I jumped a little too short, but Crag grabbed the scruff of the neck to pull me upwards. For a terrifying moment, I thought me greater weight would drag us both over the edge, but Broken joined us and hauled me over the rock. She nodded and began to walk up a slippery path.

"Come on, the Path of Rushing Water is safe," Crag told me, padding confidently up the path. I cautiously followed. I found that it was easier than I thought. I walked into the cave, and I was met with dozens of eyes turned to look at me.

A single cat came up to me, sniffed me, and dipped his head. "Welcome, why have you come?"

"Sorry Stoneteller," Sun apologized. "We found this cat in our territory. She's obviously starving, and weak. What should we do with her?"

"She is starving, not much use throwing a cat out to die," he turned to a mud-streaked she-cat. "Stream, go fetch our prisoner some caught-prey."

She dipped her head and disappeared into the shadows. Though his words sounded friendly, they sent a chill through me. _Prisoner?_

She returned with a young falcon in her jaws. Crag took it, and turned to me. "Do you want to share?"

"Sure."

He took a bite of it, and passed it to me. Thinking that this was a tradition, I took a mouthful and passed it to him. We continued like this until it was gone, licking my lips, with my stomach full for the first time since I left the clans, I turned over and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up to find the tribe cats getting ready for what looked like a patrol. A couple of slim cats stood at the entrance and, after a few seconds, where joined by Sun and another bulky cat. "Those lithe cats are prey-hunters," Crag explained, padding up to me. "They hunt prey for the tribe. The stronger ones," he waved his tail to a group and muscly cats. "Are cave-guards. They protect the prey-hunters while they're out."

"From what?"

"Hawks, and other creatures."

I nodded. "Do you train apprentices?"

"No, we have to-bes, like me. I'm to-be a cave-guard."

"Whose your leader? And your medicine cat?" I asked, becoming confused by the strange, new terms.

"We don't have either. Our healer is Stoneteller. He has a to-be who is learning from him to be the next Stoneteller. He takes care of us and has a vast knowledge of the herbs this mountain bares."

"Are you lea- er, healers always called Stoneteller?"

"Oh yes. What traditions does your tribe follow?"

I twitched my ear uncomfortably. "I don't live with them anymore."

He let out a purr. "What did they do?"

"Well, there are four clans. Thunderclan, my old home, Shadowclan, the sneaky ones, Windclan, the fast, lithe ones, and Riverclan, the swimmers."

He nodded. "Are you a cave-guard or a prey-hunter?"

"Oh, in the clans, we learn to hunt and fight as apprentices, unless you chose to be a medicine cat, when you learn the herbs and interpret the signs of Starclan. We also have the medicine cat and leader as a separate cats."

"That must be tough, learning to hunt _and _ fight."

"It's just natural."

"So why did you leave your, what do you call them? Clans?"

"I-I-I did something against the Warrior Code, our code of honor."

He blinked sympathetically at me. "I'm not going to press it if it's that bad."

"Thank you..."

Stoneteller padded up to us as I said that. "I have spoken with the Tribe of Endless Hunting," he announced to us. "They said that our guest should choose her own path, go with what her heart takes you. They said it's time for you to leave, and find your destiny."

I got up. "Thank you, Teller of the Pointed Stones, for feeding me." I dipped my head. "I am grateful for your hospitality." I turned and walked out of the cave, feeling Crag's eyes burn into my fur at every step until he vanished behind a slab of stone, but I couldn't get his face out of my mind, even when I was to far to even heat the roaring of the waterfall.

_Crag as a to-be! Yay! Everyone loves Crag!_


	7. Chapter 6 The Lake

It had been a moon since I left the clans, and I had been traveling the mountains since quarter moon, and tonight would be the half-moon.I trudged alone through the mountains, my pads scraped and cut by the rough, stone surface. I managed to find a mouse, nibbling at a patch of grass in some sparse growth. It was thin and hungry, though it tasted like the juiciest rabbit to my under-used taste buds.

By the time I found a small grassy clearing, my paws were hard and bleeding and I could barely walk. I flopped down after bringing down a small falcon using a move that Crag taught me. I tucked in, savoring in the warm prey and I fell asleep, my stomach comfortably full. I woke up the next morning refreshed and feeling that something good was going to happen that day. I stretched, feeling my stiff muscles loosen. As I turned my head to wash my back, I realized just how much the mountains changed me.

My pelt, which had been smooth, unbroken golden back in the clans had grown patchy and dull. My ribs were clearly visible, and my muscles were hard and strong under my fur. I realized that I still bore the name of an apprentice, I was old enough to be even a deputy. I thought of Bluefur and Graystripe. _I wonder if Bluefur is ever becoming a queen. Will Graystripe get an apprentice? How did Lionheart react to my disappearance?What about Goldenflower, and Sunfur?_

I shook my head. "No," I said aloud. "I have to stop thinking about them. I'm far outside the clans and the Warrior Code now."

In the distance, I heard a shrill cry. I turned my ears to it. It wasn't a cat, that's for sure. I shrugged. It didn't come again. Perhaps I imagined it. I continued walking towards the setting sun, and it came again, much closer. I looked up, my eyes growing wide with fear as the biggest bird I had ever seen appeared above my head. It screeched and grabbed my back with it's thorn-sharp talons.

I yowled as pain shot through my back. It began to beat it's tremendous wings and I felt my paws being lifted off the ground. Suddenly, I saw a flash of yellow, and a cat leaped on the bird. A large, yellowish tom had leaped onto it, slicing it's wings. It fell with the extra weight. It released me, and I landed with a _thump_. I was barely conscious as the yellow cat sliced the bird again and I flew off with another screech.

He looked at me, his fur barely ruffled, amber eyes glowing. "Having trouble? Don't you watch the skies when your in the mountains?"

"I've never been in the mountains! How would I now that?"

He ignored her exclamation. "I'm Lightning. What's your name?"

"Phoenixpaw," I answered.

"Phoenixpaw, what a strange name."

"I got it from Thunderclan. I left awhile back ago."

He didn't ask why. "Come on, Phoenixpaw, I wanna take you to something."

I hesitated. Going off with a stranger? _Then again,_ I thought. _He _did_ save my life. If he wanted to hurt me, he would've let the bird eat me. _Without any other options, I followed the handsome tom. He looked back even to make sure I was following. He lead me straight forward. He brought me out of the mountains and into a grassy field beyond. As we padded over a small roll in the plain, I saw a glint ahead. As I got closer, I saw that it was a large expanse of water. It was thick, unlike a river that it lead nowhere.

"This is the lake," he announced.

"It's beautiful," I breathed.

He leaned towards me. "So are you," he whispered.

I expected to flinch away, but his scent drove me towards him. "I-I-I don't know why I feel attracted towards you, we just met!"

"I believe in love at first sight," he murmured softly.

"I've never loved before, is this what it feels like?"

"What do you feel?"

"Kind of scared and yet, not at the same time. Like I could stay here forever, but I couldn't. I just don't know!" I began to wail aloud.

He broke away for a second, and I wondered if I offended him, but when he glanced back at me, his eyes were gleaming with laughter. "Bet you can't catch me!"

"You wish! I trained as a warrior of Thunderclan!"

Now, he looked confused. "A what of what?"

"A warrior of Thunderclan." I settled down and began my story.

"You banished yourself?" he asked after I finished.

"I had to."

"You didn't have to tell them," he pointed out.

"I can't keep a secret for very long."

"I'll find a way to make you," he growled, his voice regaining all of it's playfulness.

"Let's see!" I yowled, shooting off, my tail streaming behind me.

I stepped into a muddy puddle outside of a twoleg den. Lightning was behind me, gently nudging me towards an easier path or to avoid a dog. "Are we almost out?" I asked him.

It had been four seasons since I left the clans, and it was deep in leaf-bare. Leaf-fall had been kind, but the cold winds showed no mercy as it sliced through my smooth coat. "Almost, just a little bit farther," he cooed.

I had decided that I couldn't be away from Thunderclan forever, and now I was returning and, no matter how much I wanted to see Crag Where Eagles Nest, I knew it would be safer to go through twolegplace. And besides, how could I like Crag when I like Lightning more?

I yawned. Lightning looked at me, concern clouding his eyes. "Are you okay? Your normally not tired ever!"

I yawned again. "I guess I'm just not used to being on my paws from sunrise to sunset. We took it easy when we lived by the lake." But even as I spoke, I couldn't even convince myself. Just yesterday, I had a horrible upset stomach that stopped us from moving. What was wrong with me?

"Let's rest for awhile," he suggested.

"Okay," I agreed.

As we settled down in a small enclosed clearing, he instructed me to lie down. I didn't know why, but I did it anyway. Tentatively, he prodded my stomach. I yelped with pain and he recoiled. "Did I hurt you? I barely touched you!"

"No, it's okay, just a pang."

He continued. "What are you doing?" I asked him.

He was silent for a few more seconds. Finally, his gaze lit up but he didn't say anything accept, "Let's get some rest and I'll tell you tomorrow."

Nodding in agreement, I drifted into sleep as he rasped his tongue over my flank. The next morning, he was moving all about, making the place comfortable as if we where staying there forever. "Lightning, _now _will you tell me what's up?"

He turned to me, surprised to see me awake. "Phoenixpaw, your expecting kits!"


	8. Chapter 7 Ashes to Ashes

"I am?" I was shocked, though at least I knew who the father is.

"You think I would lie about something like that?" He joked, then he grew cautious and stepped back. "They, they _are _ours, right?"

I let out a long, rumbling purr. "Of course! Whose else would they be?"

"I don't know! You could have another mate and just pretend to like me!"

"If I pretended would I be mothering your kits?"

"Well...no. Anyway, we're staying here for a while, so get comfy!"

"Why? I can keep going!"

He rubbed his cheek against mine. "Of course you can. You would go to the ends of the world for me, I think. But I want to make sure you and the kits are safe."

"I think every father feels that." The purr rumbled louder. "But I'll let you have the joy of mollycoddling me until this is over."

"You know I will," he told me and, and in a voice that sounded like I was becoming the leader of the world, he announced, "Now, my fair maiden, may the mollycoddling, commence!" He dropped a fat mouse at my paws.

I gaped at it. "How did you find something so fat so late in leaf-bare!?"

"I found a barn not to far from here. It's crawling with mice this fat and fatter!"

I looked at him pleadingly. "Can we stay there? It sounds nice."

He nodded. "It's definitely more comfortable than here," he agreed thoughtfully before leaping to his paws. "Let's go!" Then he glanced at me a relaxed. "You know, if you can make it that far."

"Of course I can!" I cried. I hopped up to my paws to show him I could make it.

"Come on then." He lead the way through twolegplace to a small clearing. The ground was muddy underpaw, and I just realized that it must've been raining all night. But now the day was clear, the bright sun shining on a small twoleg nest. I lifted my nose and sniffed the air for twolegs. I couldn't smell anything except for the dusty scent of hay and the strong scent of mouse. "Oh come on, Phoenixpaw," he called, and I noticed that he was already inside.

"Okay. Coming!" I hurried up the muddy slope to the barn. When I got up there I saw that he was stalking a mouse, his hindquarters waggling before he leaped. I admired his gracefulness and the suppleness of his muscles. He looked up with a mouse gripped between his jaws.

"Hunting here is amazing! Do you want to try? You know, if-if you think you can handle it."

I rose my tail. "I hunted for myself before I met yo- no wait, your right, I nearly starved. But I can hunt as well as you now!"

He looked back at me, his amber eyes deep with affection. "Oh I know you can, you will always be able to do anything."

"With you," I whispered. I remembered my days back when I was in the clans. For the first time since I met Lightning, I remembered why I left. I had killed Mapleshade and Lickingflame. Why was I going back?

For a second, he was staring at me. "Why are you going back?" he asked, completely oblivious to the fact I just asked myself the same thing.

"I can't stay away from my clan. I keep wondering if Bluefur has or ever will become a queen, or if one of my friends is deputy or leader. I keep wondering if Graystripe missed me, or Lionheart, or Bluefur. I can't stay away from them forever, it's time to face my clan and face the consequences of my choices." 

"Bold words," he murmured.

I crouched into the hay, trying not to sneeze. I smelt a mouse, and I tracked it down and pounced with deadly precision. I settled down to munch on it, it's musky flavor seeping into my taste buds. "Delicious," I muttered, my mouth full.

Several days passed, nothing much happened. Lightning would order me to stay put while he went for a drink, always bringing a mouthful of dripping moss for me. Instantly disobeying him, I would catch and eat a few mice before he got back. Which mostly ended with him offering me something to eat and I would reject. Now I think he thinks that I'm sick or something.

"Are you sure your okay? I haven't seen you eat for a few days. You know that you aren't just feeding yourself, right?" He asked.

"Yes, I've eaten, yes. Does that answer your questions?" I mewed innocently.

"No!" He paced up and down the floor of the barn. "I need to know so much! But I can't find out until it happens!"

I hesitated, wondering if what I was about to suggest was going way over my head. "Do you want me to try to ask Starclan about it?"

"Would they listen? Wouldn't they just attack you?"

"No, or, at least, I don't think so. I mean, Lickingflame didn't fight back when..." I trailed off, not wanting to go on and hoping that he would understand.

He nodded. "You can try if you want, just make sure they don't hurt you if you can get there."

"_If,_" I reminded him. "If I can get there. I kinda turned my back on them when Orangestripe and Fluffstorm died."

"Don't hurt yourself," he warned.

I yawned. "I won't." He made sure my nest was comfortable like he always does, and padded outside to get a drink. I closed my eyes and prayed that they would come and answer my questions. At first, I didn't recognize where I was, and it took a few seconds for my to realize I was in Fourtrees. Instantly, I leaped to my paws.

"Flametooth! Please come to me! I have so many questions!" I called to the shining stars that dotted the midnight sky.

"You wanted to see me?" a voice asked.

I flipped around to see my father standing before me. He eyed me cautiously, obviously not forgetting our last encounter. "Oh yes father! Please! Tell me. Will we be okay?"

He cast glances all around, making sure no cat was listening. "Just between you and me, I've been worrying about you also. They promised me that although chances may seem bleak at some points, and trust me, things will get to the point that you will be positively sure you will join us, but heed my words, you will not join us until you become a warrior of Thunderclan."

"I'll make it home safe? What about the kits?"

His gaze darkened, and he sighed. "We can't see the future for unborn kits. It's beyond our power. We only take kits if there is already something wrong with them and they will suffer more if they survive, like if it has a weak heart, or can barely breath." He shook his head in despair. "We don't want cats to suffer more then they have to. That's why we take cats in the first place."

I turned, throwing a few words over my shoulder. "I will not let you take my kits away. I will not let you take Lightning. I won't let you take my family away."

He blinked slowly. "I cannot guarantee that. It's not my duty."

I flinched, blinking awake. Lightning dropped a mouse at my paws. "Did you speak to them?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And..."

"And what?"

"What did he say?"

I blinked at him. His eyes were glazed with terror and I could feel his thoughts almost as easily as if he had climbed a tree and announced it to the world. _Oh, don't tell me that he said you're going to die! I need you!_

"He told me that I would live to become a warrior, and that he has no control or idea if our kits will survive." I lowered my head. "He said nothing about you."

In a voice so weak, it threatened to be engulfed in the wind, he whispered, "I would give my life for you and our kits."

"I know," was all I answered. I felt too choked up to say any more.

We were silent for many moments, filled only with nearly silent sobs from Lightning. "He told me that there will be many moments where I will feel certain death was near until in really happened. I don't know when or how I will die, but I will get home. I just wish I knew you would be with me the entire time."

"Come on, lets get some sleep."

I couldn't sleep. I felt thirsty, but not. I felt hungry, but not. I ached. No matter how many different positions I tried, I couldn't get comfortable. Then I remember a searing pain, and then nothing. 

_A/N Thank you to: LadyofStarclan_

_ Ruby_

_ Sunnypelt_

_ A Leaf in the Wind_

_ Splinterclaw_

_ ScripioPB_

_ Amberfoot7_

_ and Emerald Flashes for noticing that I exist. All I need is a P.M. Or a review! Doesn't matter! Come one!_


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